Southern Utah news in brief

Family history expo scheduled this week

The Family Roots Conference and Expo, a family history event that features more than 75 classes and a display of the "world's largest family tree chart," is slated for this Friday and Saturday, Sept. 28-29, at the Dixie Center.

Keynote speakers include Lisa Louise Cooke, Todd Hansen, and Jason Hewlett, who are slated to share their own unique perspectives on family history.

Also scheduled is a performance by the Interfaith Choir, a Native American pow-wow and interactive activities like candle dipping, panning for gold, and the "Famopoloy" game.

Tickets for the classes start at $29 for a one-day adult pass, with youths free on Saturday. Exhibitions and activities are free and open to anyone.

For more information on the event, visit www.familyrootsexpo.com. The Dixie Center is at 1835 Convention Center Drive in St. George.

Brown Bag lecture series kicks off new season

Every Friday, from October through April, the Dixie Arizona Strip Interpretive Association and its partners host the popular Marilyn Davis Brown Bag Lecture series which provides unique opportunities for members of the public to learn more about the area’s natural resources and public lands.

At noon on Oct. 5, the interagency center will host a Night Sky presentation by Grand Canyon Parashant National Monument Ecologist Jennifer Fox. Attendees will enjoy learning more about the wonders of night skies in this International Night Sky Province.

Other lectures following in October include Emily Schrepf on Oct. 12 discussing the new Grand Staircase Escalante National Monument units; Janet Seegmiller on Oct. 19, who will describe the Bryce Canyon Oral History project; and Nick Glidden, the Pine Valley District Ranger on Oct. 26, who will be highlighting the unique features of the largest laccolith in North America.

The lectures, lasting one hour, are held at the Interagency Information Center, located at 345 E. Riverside Drive in St. George, Utah. Admission is free, but space is limited for this popular lecture series. Attendees are advised to reserve their free seating early; sign up is available one week prior to each program. To register, visit the Interagency Information Center or call 435-688-3200.